Anti-skid chain with rim protection covering

ABSTRACT

In an anti-skid chain with a continuous chain mesh with track crosses and a side cable fitting on an (outer) tire side when mounted, the track crosses are connected to the side cable by hooks which are hooked into at least one chain link of the side cable, wherein each hook is provided with a rim protection covering surrounding the hook and the at least one chain ink. The rim protection coverings surround the respective chain links of the side cable, while a part of the hook that provides a connection with the track crosses is protruding from the rim protection covering.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an anti-skid chain with a continuous chain mesh with track crosses and a side cable which, when mounted, is located on a side of a tire (preferably the outer tire side), wherein the track crosses are connected to the side cable by hooks, wherein each hook is provided with a rim protection covering surrounding the hook.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

AT 500295 B1 discloses an anti-skid chain for being mounted onto a vehicle tire on a wheel rim, which is, on the parts of the chain that may come into contact with the wheel rim, provided with a rim protection element that forms a bracket for a tension cable present on the outer side of the tire. The known rim protection elements have brackets through which the tension cable can be pulled with the aim of tensioning. A disadvantage of this known embodiment is above all that in an anti-skid chain, in which the tension cable is arranged on the inner side of the tire and only a side cable is provided on the outer side of the tire, no good connection of the track cross on the side cable is ensured.

In order to connect the track cross onto tension cables, U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,321 suggests attaching clips that can be displaced along the tension cable.

EP 1 520 734 A2 discloses a tensioning device for snow chains, in which the track cross is hung on hooks into the side cable. A crosshead of this tensioning device surrounds the chain link of the side cable onto which such a hook is hooked, but still leaves the hook itself free, so that it can come into contact with the wheel rim as before.

In EP 0 976 588 A1 a rim protection device is described that wholly surrounds the hooks together with the end links of the continuous chain mesh. This will cause additional strain to the track cross as well as to the rim protection covering itself during operation of the anti-skid chain, and compensatory movements of the track cross will entail a corresponding movement of the device across the tire side.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention is an anti-skid chain of the type mentioned in the introduction wherein the track crosses are connected with the side cable through hooks which are hooked into at least one chain link of the side cable respectively; a rim protection covering surrounds the respective (one or more) chain link(s) of the side cable, wherein a part of the hook that provides a connection with the track crosses is protruding from the rim protection covering.

By virtue of the invention it is possible to achieve both a good joining of the side cable onto the track cross and a very efficient rim protection.

A subsequent mounting of rim protection coverings on the anti-skid chain is made substantially easier by providing that the rim protection covering has a front piece facing away from the side (outer side) of the tire and a rear piece facing towards the tire side, wherein front and rear pieces have recesses for accommodating the at least one chain link and the hook.

The mounting may be made even easier by a configuration where the front piece and the rear piece of the rim protection covering can be affixed by means of a snap-action connection onto the hook and the at least one chain link, wherein at least one of the two sides of the rim protection covering has at least one protrusion and the other side has at least one opening corresponding to the protrusion and into which the protrusion can be snapped in place.

The manipulation of the rim protection covering may, moreover, be made substantially easier by providing that the front and rear pieces of the rim protection covering are joined by means of a hinge-like joint.

Advantageously the rim protection covering may substantially surround the chain link of the side cable into which the hook is hung, as well as sections of the chain links next to this chain link on the left and the right, when mounted.

Furthermore, a scratching of the wheel rim may be especially well prevented by providing a rim protection covering made of plastic.

In order to enable connection of the track cross onto a tension cable (which is usually located on the opposite tire side, often on the inner tire side as an inner tension cable), the sheathing of the tension cable has discontinuities, so that the tension cable has a smaller cross section in these places. The discontinuities of the sheathing are used to fasten hooks for connecting the tension cable with the track cross. This method according to the prior art has the disadvantage, however, that it is very elaborate and hence imposes high manufacturing costs. Moreover, the hooks can rotate about the tension cable as an axle, even if lateral slippage can be largely prevented by the sheathing. Mounting is, however, made more difficult by the fact that the hooks can be rotated about the tension cable, in particular if this is an inner cable. These problems can be overcome by providing the anti-skid chain with an (inner) tension cable onto which connecting elements are clamped secured against slippage; a hook, or chain cable of the continuous chain mesh, connecting the tension cable with at least one track cross is/are directly hung into each of these elements. This measure ensures a particularly reliable function and simple manipulation of the anti-skid chain.

The manipulation and comfort of operation may be further improved in that at least one of the rim protection coverings is identified in a specific manner, for example by a particular coloring. The identification is very helpful above all for mounting and dismantling of the chain, since for the user the relative position of the chain on the tire can be established with a glance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention together with further advantages is described in more detail in what follows on the basis of a non-limiting exemplary embodiments, which are depicted in the drawings. These show schematically:

FIG. 1 the outer side of a tire with an anti-skid chain having rim protection coverings according to the invention;

FIG. 2 a section of an outer side cable of the anti-skid chain from FIG. 1 with a hook hung in a chain link of the side cable for joining the side cable onto a track cross, in perspective view;

FIG. 3 a rim protection covering according to the invention in an open condition in perspective view;

FIG. 4 the section of the side cable of FIG. 2 with the rim protection covering of FIG. 3 mounted on it, in perspective view;

FIG. 5 the mounted rim protection covering of FIG. 4 in a front view; and

FIG. 6 the mounted rim protection covering of FIG. 4 with chain cables of the track cross hung into it, in perspective view;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to FIG. 1, an anti-skid chain 1 according to the invention has a continuous chain mesh with track crosses 2 and a side cable 10 located on a outer side of the tire 2 when mounted. In this application, a side cable is understood as side chain that is not used as a tension cable and which is preferable realized as a loop.

The track crosses 2 are joined to the side cable 10 by hooks 5 each hung into at least one chain link 4 of the side cable 10 (FIG. 2). A rim protection covering 11 surrounding the hook 5 and the at least one chain link 4 may be provided for each hook 5. In order to make mounting and dismantling easier, at least one of the rim protection coverings 11 can be particularly identified, for example by a particular coloring. So, in the drawing according to FIG. 1 a rim protection covering 12 is particularly identified by color (drawn dotted). An exact position of the chain on the wheel can be indicated by identification of the rim protection covering 12. Identification may be done e.g. in that the rim protection covering 12 has a different color to the other rim protection coverings 11.

According to FIG. 3, the covering 11 has a front piece 13 facing away from the outer side of the tire and a rear piece 14 facing towards the outer side of the tire. Front piece 13 and rear piece 14 have recesses 15 for the at least one chain link 4 and the hook 5 to slot into.

The front piece 13 and the rear piece 14 of the covering 11 may be affixed by means of a snap-action connection to the hook 5 and to the at least one chain link 4. Here, at least one of the two sides of the covering 11 may have one protrusion 16 and the other side may have at least one opening 17, corresponding with the protrusion 16, into which the protrusion 16 can be snapped into place.

Further, the front 13 and rear 14 pieces of the rim protection covering 11 may be joined by means of a hinge-like joint 18. Moreover, front piece 13 and rear piece 14 as well as the joint 18 may be constructed as one piece with each other. In a single-piece construction of the rim protection covering 11, it is advantageous, in particular for manufacturing technical reasons, if the covering 11 is made of plastic. A very good protection of the rim against damage is effected by the use of plastic as the material for the rim protection covering 11, too.

According to FIGS. 4 to 6, the rim protection covering 11 can substantially enclose the hook 5, the chain link 4 (not visible in these figures) of the side cable 10, into which the hook is hung, as well as sections of the chain links 4′, 4″ next to this chain link 4 on the left and right.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be understood that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims cover all such variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. An anti-skid chain for use with a tire, comprising: a continuous chain mesh with track crosses; a side cable fitting on a first side of the tire when mounted, the side cable comprising chain links; a plurality of hooks connecting the track crosses to the side cable, and the hooks are hooked into respective chain links of the side cable; and a plurality of rim protection coverings surrounding respective ones of the plurality of hooks, wherein a part of the hook that provides a connection with the track crosses protrudes from the rim protection covering.
 2. The anti-skid chain according to claim 1, wherein the rim protection covering has a front piece facing away from the first side of the tire and a rear piece facing towards the first side of the tire, said front and rear pieces having recesses adapted to accommodate the at least one chain link and the hook.
 3. The anti-skid chain according to claim 2, wherein the front piece and the rear piece of the rim protection covering comprise a snap-action connection for being affixed onto the hook and the at least one chain link, and wherein at least one of the two sides of the rim protection covering has at least one protrusion and the other side has at least one opening corresponding to the protrusion, said protrusion being configured to snapped in place with said opening.
 4. The anti-skid chain according to claim 2, wherein the front and rear pieces of the rim protection covering are joined by means of a hinge-like joint.
 5. The anti-skid chain according to claim 1, wherein the rim protection covering is adapted to substantially surround the chain link of the side cable into which the hook is hung, as well as sections of the chain links next to this chain link on the left and the right, when mounted.
 6. The anti-skid chain according to claim 1, wherein the rim protection covering is made of plastic.
 7. The anti-skid chain according to claim 1, wherein the first side of the tire is an outer side. 